Charlotte Bobcats at Milwaukee Bucks preview -- Game 17

by David A. Arnott on Nov 27, 2010 10:28 AM EST

The Big Picture: When the Milwaukee Bucks are clicking, they can beat anyone. It's a tribute to Scott Skiles that Andrew Bogut has become an all-around beast, Carlos Delfino has returned to the NBA better than ever, and Ersan Ilyasova even has relevance, all under Skiles's watch.

Unfortunately for them, they've struggled this year, starting out 5-10. Bogut missed yesterday's game, and Delfino is out indefinitely. They've still got scoring punch with Brandon Jennings, John Salmons, Corey Maggette, and Drew Gooden, but those last two guys have never shown any interest in defense, which makes one wonder why the Bucks bothered signing them both to multi-year deals in the first place.

This is another winnable game, especially with those two key players out, and the opponent reeling from a five-game losing streak.

Musical Interlude: B.O.B. ft. Rivers Cuomo -- "Magic"

Key to Victory: Maggette is going to get to the foul line. He always has and always will get foul calls that no other human of his ability can get. It'll be up to Gerald Wallace to contain him, but the Cats might consider splitting up coverage between Crash, Stephen Jackson, and Tyrus Thomas.

If Bogut is out again, Milwaukee could play Jon Brockman or Larry Sanders big minutes in the post. Neither is much to write home about on offense, but Brockman is a beast on the boards and Sanders is a burgeoning defensive force. Either way, the Cats would be well-served to challenge those two young, less-established guys first, forcing them to make plays. If Bogut plays, or that method doesn't prove fruitful, their next step is to attack Maggette and Gooden, hoping that neither guy is motivated to play enough D to bother our wings.

Detail That May Interest .08% of You: I'm very proud to have sussed out Larry Sanders's NBA potential when he was still at VCU. (Please ignore the incorrect Ben Wallace reference.)

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Must win game tonight for us

(well, and for the Bucks too, but that’s besides the point)

by Roger, Roger on Nov 27, 2010 12:38 PM EST reply actions

I get your point, but

I feel like every game like last nights, and tonights are MUST wins. For us to be legit we need to beat the teams we’re supposed to beat. We’re supposed to beat the Rockets. They’re struggling. Does that make the win any less satisfying as a fan? No because a win is a win no matter how it’s done. My point is. We’ve lost 6 games by 5 points or less. Those are games we’re suppposed to win no matter who they are. We’re performing poorly at home, and better than we have in the past on the road(which is nice, but we need home wins too). We SHOULD be the Raptors, Pacers, Timberwolves, Kings, Knicks of the world, but we’re not. Until we do and stop playing down to their level. We’ll always be what we currently are. A mediocre team that in all reality as a fan is the full pallet. You don’t have that championship hope, but you have a smaller attainable goal. You get the FULL depression of your team potentially being the worst, and the FULL satisfaction of your team attaining small goals(all-star, triple double, playoffs, etc.). I’ve been a fan of mediocre teams my whole life(niners of the 90’s aside..i was too young to really appreciate it). I don’t know where I was going with the last few sentances, sorry. I trail off from time to time. Anyway…uh…must-win. yada yada yada GO BOBCATS!!!!

"It's something I think about on a day to day basis: These Colors Don't Run. Love it or leave it USA #1!"-Ricky Stanzi Iowa QB and Patriot
Blindly Optimistic follower of The Iowa Hawkeyes, San Francisco 49ers, and the Charlotte Bobcats.

by HAWKEYESBABY on Nov 27, 2010 1:55 PM EST up reply actions